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When Sayaka first stepped inside, the apartment was quiet. Only the low hum of the heater kicking on and, further off down the hall, she heard the patter of the shower running too. Celeste was getting ready for an evening out gambling, she was sure. Oftentimes, their schedules aligned better than one might think—the entertainment industry life of an idol and that of an underground gambler were both more active at night. When Sayaka didn’t have any performances of late rehearsals, though, it wasn’t unusual to have just a few hours together at home. This was sure to be one of those days.
She stretched languorously, letting out a soft sigh. Maybe a nice cup of tea was just what she needed to unwind. Her girlfriend would appreciate it too, when she got out. So, after padding into the kitchen and giving Grand Bois Cheri his requisite scritches, Sayaka got the kettle going. While she worked, she hummed to herself, the melody quickly turning into that of one of her most popular recent songs.
Humming, then, turned just as quickly to singing, quiet enough not to carry far. She even went through some of the simpler key points of the choreo right there in the kitchen, dancing around the fluffy obstacle of their cat on the way to fetch a pair of cups and saucers from the cupboard, the delicate floral china that was Celeste’s favorite.
Soon enough, the quiet whistle of the kettle boiling interrupted Sayaka’s impromptu performance, but under that piercing whine, she could hear something else too when she concentrated, another sound that hadn’t been there when she got home. Sure at first that she was imagining it, she left Grand Bois Cheri in the kitchen and cut through the living room, tiptoeing down the hall that led to the bedrooms. The closer she got to the bathroom, the more distinct the sound became.
Over the steady pounding of the shower, she could hear Celeste’s slightly deeper, huskier voice—her real voice, not the affected accent she put on in public. She was singing the very same song Sayaka had stuck in her head, going through not only Sayaka’s own lines but those of her groupmates.
Until her cheeks started to hurt with the strain of it, she didn’t even realize how widely she was smiling.
Stifling a giggle, Sayaka opened the bathroom door just a crack, enough for her voice to carry inside easily when she started to sing along with her. For a few seconds, that was, until Celeste stopped abruptly, letting out an undignified little yelp.
“Sayaka! What are you doing home? I didn’t hear you come in.”
“Careful, you almost sound like you’re not happy for your girlfriend to be home,” she teased in response, a smile still playing at her lips. “Of course you wouldn’t have heard me over the shower.”
“Or you were deliberately being stealthy so you could enjoy eavesdropping,” Celeste groused. Sayaka couldn’t see her expression from behind the shower curtain, but she thought she could imagine the pout pretty accurately.
“Mm, nope, I don’t need to be stealthy for that! I can just use my intuition to know when and how you’ll notice me. It’s foolproof.”
“Likely story. You’re far too keen to humiliate me. The adoring public has no idea just how devious their favorite idol is.” Oh, Celeste was making it far too easy that evening. Almost enough to make Sayaka wonder if she was opening herself up to more teasing on purpose.
“Sounds like I’m your favorite idol too. You really do memorize the lyrics of all my songs, don’t you?” She let a moment of fond quiet pass, one even Celeste didn’t try to puncture, then said, “You have a nice voice. You probably could’ve hit it big as an idol yourself if you weren’t a gambler. I wish you’d sing with me more often.”
Celeste’s voice was a little fonder when she replied. “You’re letting all the steam out of the bathroom, you twit. Let me finish my shower.”
“Alright, alright. I wouldn’t want to invite too much of your wrath in one day, dear. There’ll be milk tea waiting when you’re ready. I’ll give our spoiled boy his treats too.” As soon as she was met with a hum of agreement, Sayaka backed out of the bathroom doorway again, closing it behind her.
On her way back to the kitchen to finish preparing the tea, she was just barely able to hear Celeste start singing again, even quieter than before.